1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image sensing apparatus for digitalizing an electronically sensed still image and recording an image signal indicative of the still image in a recording medium, also to a recording/reproducing method thereof, and to initialization of the recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is an image sensing apparatus which receives an image, formed through a lens, by an image-sensing element such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device), detects an image signal generated by the sensing element, and records an image data, obtained by processing the image signal, in a recording medium such as a floppy disk.
This apparatus incorporates an electronic still camera for subjecting the image signal to image processing such as data compression, then recording the compressed data in a recording medium removably mounted in the apparatus, e.g. a floppy disk or an IC card. The electronic still camera is standardized as "still video floppy system" (EIAJ standard CP-3901).
According to the standards, the still video floppy disk (hereinafter called "floppy disk") has predetermined jacket size, disk size, electromagnetic characteristics, and track pattern. Similarly, the formats of a video signal recording system, a voice signal recording system, a digital data recording system, and a queue track are standardized.
In the above standards, the 52th track of the floppy disk is used as the queue track, and control codes to be used for the queue track are predetermined. The queue track stores control codes for automatic reproduction (serial reproduction, repeating reproduction, etc.) of video signals, voice signals, and digital data stored in 1st-50th main tracks. However, in the above standards, no methods of managing data stored in the main tracks are standardized.
Thus, in a system in which at least one part of each track is read out, a long overhead time may be required due to seek time at the time of searching tracks filled with data. Further, in a system in which data stored in each track must be reproduced for confirming the contents thereof, it is difficult to perform search or edition.
Moreover, floppy disks and IC cards to be used in the above-described electronic still camera must be initialized such that they have a predetermined format before data is stored therein.
That is, since the recording medium must be initialized such that it has a predetermined format, when used also in an image sensing apparatus, the user, in general, must perform complex initialization to obtain a predetermined format. In addition, there are a few conventional image sensing apparatuses which can set a recording medium to have a format in a state where the medium is inserted therein. These conventional apparatuses require a separate processing device such as an initializing system or a personal computer.